Latest news with #Jinjja
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'If you're not Korean, you can't cook Korean food' – Jinjja Chicken reveals Singaporean roots
Imagine if you really wanted some Korean food, but you find out the owner of the stall isn't Korean. Would you still give it a chance, or just assume that the food wouldn't be any good? That was exactly what happened to Bernard Tay, the founder of Jinjja Chicken. Jinjja Chicken was founded in 2015, and for the last decade, Bernard has laid low, avoiding revealing that Jinjja Chicken is a homegrown brand. He admits that the misconception that Jinjja is a Korean brand is a common one, and in the past, he did not bother to correct people. Even those close to him had the assumption that he had bought the franchise. Bernard chose to sell Korean fried chicken as he was a big fan of the dish. He recalled an incident where a potential customer asked the cashier if the owner of Jinjja Chicken was Korean. When he was told that the owner was Singaporean, he walked away, saying that the food wouldn't be good since the owner wasn't Korean. 'There is a stigma that if you are not South Korean, you can't cook Korean fried chicken well,' Bernard said. Now that Jinjja Chicken is doing well with 8 outlets locally and about S$10 million in yearly revenue, Bernard is ready to let the public know about the brand's Singaporean roots. The brand also plans to open outlets in other parts of Asia, such as China, Thailand and Vietnam. 'We are a Singaporean brand and we are also doing well overseas,' said Bernard. 'I hope people will support Singaporeans who dare to sell cuisines which are not local.' Jade's Chicken: Authentic Korean-owned stall with honey butter fried chicken, jjajangmyeon & army stew in Toa Payoh coffeeshop The post 'If you're not Korean, you can't cook Korean food' – Jinjja Chicken reveals Singaporean roots appeared first on
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
After a decade, Jinjja Chicken founder admits brand is Singaporean not Korean — says it's time to ‘support locals who dare'
SINGAPORE, April 19 – Singaporean entrepreneur Bernard Tay has today admitted the local origins of his Korean fried chicken chain, Jinjja Chicken, which he launched in 2015. The Straits Times reported that the brand is co-owned by Tay and another Singaporean partner, and now operates eight outlets in Singapore, generating about S$10 million (RM33 million) annually and employing 170 staff. 'It is time to let people know that we are proudly 100 per cent owned by Singaporeans. We are a Singaporean brand and we are also doing well overseas. 'I hope people will support Singaporeans who dare to sell cuisines which are not local,' Tay reportedly said. The halal-certified brand currently has franchise outlets in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, with another scheduled to open in Brunei this August. Tay said many customers assume Jinjja is a South Korean brand, and he initially chose not to correct the misconception due to concerns over perceived authenticity. He cited a specific incident in 2017 at the Northpoint City outlet, where a customer left upon learning that the owner was Singaporean, doubting the quality of the food because it wasn't South Korean-owned. Before launching Jinjja, Tay worked at his family's food business, Molly's Nonya Kuehs, and used his savings and a bank loan totalling over S$350,000 to open the first outlet in Bugis Village in October 2015. He obtained halal certification to appeal to a broader market, and his wife Christine Tay joined the business as marketing director in 2016. Tay said he developed Jinjja with help from a branding agency and a chef friend, while sourcing authentic recipes from South Korean contacts he met while running a trading company for food ingredients. Despite having no culinary background, Tay said he worked in the kitchen during the early days, handling everything from food prep to dishwashing in gruelling 14-hour shifts without breaks. Tay said he now has set his sights on expanding into Thailand, Vietnam, China and possibly Australia through franchising.
